PSYCH 1X03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Sound Intensity, Tonotopy, Bassoon
22 Jun 2016
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Document Summary
Sound travels in waves, although sound waves travel much slower and require some medium to travel through. These alternating bands of more and less compressed air molecules interact with eardrum to begin auditory processing. The three physical characteristics of the wave, amplitude, wavelength and purity, when applied to sound waves, translate into the three psychological properties of loudness, pitch and timbre. Amplitude: measure of loudness: variations in amplitude or height of sound wave affect the perception of loudness, since waves of greater amplitude correspond to vibrations of greater intensity, higher waves correspond to louder sounds, loudness is measured using a logarithmic scale of decibels (db) Timbre: measure of complexity/purity: most sounds we hear everyday are complex sounds that are composed of multiple sound waves that vary in frequency, timbre refers to the complexity of a sound, ex. When you pluck a guitar, it vibrates as a whole (fundamental), but also vibrates at shorter segments along the string (overtones)
